Carelinks Sunday2015

Integral Mission pastor CK Cheung

Thank God for giving me a good rest and experience on my

sabbatical.

Participating in a cataract medical mission trip and a

field visit to CEDAR Fund’s ministry in Yunnan, China, impacted me

greatly.

Let me start with my experience on the cataract medical

mission trip: the first task, for our team of 12, was to run preliminary

assessments for up to 700 villagers at three walk-in centres on the

first two days. On the following 3 days, the team conducted cataract

surgery on 100 patients for free. Patients returned on the subsequent

day for the removal of their dressings, when they could see again,

with great joy! Their joy was shared among the relatives, and the

team as well. The fact is that the patients would never in their whole

lives have the money to afford cataract surgery. Thus, what the

medical mission team did allowed the sufferers to appreciate what

free gifts are. In the same way, Jesus offers us the free gift of rescue

from darkness to light.

In Yunnan, I observed CEDAR Fund and the local

church partners offering seed, pigs and husbandry technology, as a

means of improving the local farmers’ quality of living. The

partnership also offers support to the many AIDS patients and drug

addicts in the area. The local health authorities run healthcare

services, whereas the church reaches out to the needy and builds

relationships with them. In so doing, even the local health bureau

praises the work the church has been doing. In addition, the church

cares for leprosy patients, who otherwise would be ignored. Through

the church living out the gospel in word and deed, those they are

helping understand more about the love of Jesus and turn to the Lord.

These experiences helped me to deepen my

understanding of the incarnation of the Lord Jesus and the true

meaning of the love of God. Love can be abstract for many people.

However, for those that the CEDAR Fund and church partners are

reaching: Jesus’ love is experienced in a direct way. Not only are

their practical needs being met, but their spiritual needs are being

provided for too, which is exactly what integral mission is about.

Learning from documents and records on our church

history, Carelinks started with the mission to mediate the Chinese

Church in London to become a group of godly people who are

loving and caring – not only to our Chinese brothers and sisters, but

also to your neighbors and mine in London, England, Europe and

the world. God has entrusted people to look after the earth and his

creation.

Frankly, I do not consider myself a loving and merciful

person. My passion for protecting the environment and for social

justice is not strong either. However, in my position, it is my desire

to shadow pastor Cheung, pastoral worker Anita Tang, and learn

together with members of my Carelinks team, and brothers and

sisters “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with

[y]our God." <Micah 6: 8>

Apart from preparing Christmas shoeboxes,

supporting the food bank, and donating to the Carelinks fund in

order to enable us to financially support the organizations that

Carelinks is in partnership with: I hope to put more effort into

enhancing communication between our church and partner

organisations as a way to improve our support to their frontlineworkers, and enhancing participation of our church.

Sharing from the new church

Carelinks secretary

David Chau

Thank God for His guidance, the

encouragement of church leaders,

and the support and affirmation of

the church family. After the Church

Annual General Meeting, I started to

serve in the church Carelinks

ministry as the secretary.

I thank God for my involvement in the church’sOutreach Action Team for the past 4 years, during which timeGod has strongly reminded me that Jesus’ gospel is our identity.Through my new position I am committed to encouragingevangelism through social concern. For example, whilst otherpeople deal with gambling addiction, we advocate overcominggambling addiction by the transforming love and power of Jesus.

It is clear that the mission Jesus Christ has given usis integral. Solely preaching the gospel without caring for our‘targets’ as human beings is a hard sell; merely caring withoutsensitively proclaiming the gospel ignores our greatest need andtheirs.

Normally as a church, there are two areas we don'toften talk about, these are: caring for the environment andadvocating social justice. I believe that in both cases it may be atrade-off between insignificant self-sacrifice and significant greatergood. There is a cost to environmental protection, which is tosacrifice a little of our own convenience and money, in order tobetter steward the earth and God’s creation as a whole. Forexample, by buying Fairtrade items we are supporting theinterests of marginalised farmers and producers, we are helpingto ensure both fair terms of trade and decent working conditions.Societal values are becoming increasingly different to biblicalvalues: for instance, there is an increasing number of casinossurrounding Chinatown and gay culture is becoming moremainstream. I am looking forward to seeing development in thetwo areas of caring for the environ-

ment and advocating social

justice through the Carelinks

ministry: Are we prepared to

sacrifice our time and effort to

advocate biblical values and

God’s holiness? Do we still

believe that our God is righteous,

and listens to the prayers of the

righteous?

New Leaf Counselling Service

What we do?

1) Providing professional counselling

2) Equipping through training -

workshops / seminars etc.

3) Supporting one another + raise

standards

How ?

1) Relationship – safe & mutual

2) Method – goals setting / active

listening

3) Confidentiality – acceptance / caring

The Procedures:

1) Prayer Ministry

2) Pastoral Care

3) Professional Counselling

Who are the Counsellors ?

1) Fully trained & qualified

2) Abide by the Codes of Ethics & Practice of BACP & ACC

3) Practicing Christians

New Leaf workshops / seminars: Courtship

course / Boys & Girls Relationship, Marriage

Preparation Course (MPC), Parenting workshops,

Personality & Relationships, Understanding

stress / anxiety / depression / anger / addictions

etc., Communication Skills, Training Course on

Caring Skills, Managing emotions.

Our services: For the community regardless of

income, religious background, age, status.

• Mobile: 07786 961615

(Mon – Fri 10am – 7pm)

• Email：newleaf@ccil.org.uk

• Web: www.newleafcounselling.org.uk

Peter Chan

Centre Manager of

CCGR

Record of sharing among the different congregations of CCiL

between August and September 2014

I thank God for the opportunity to be able to share with you today

about our ministry in the CCGR.

England is sometimes described as a gambling kingdom/

country. This culture is created by a combination of very

accessible legal gambling, with more casinos around than

grocery stores. They also provide very convenient ways to pay

for your bet, such as with credit cards and payday loans. The

Chinese in England in particular like to gamble: this is probably

related to our culture’s traditional religious beliefs and also our

upbringing. Many from Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and parts of

South East Asia, come into contact with gambling as young as 5

or 6 years old. In fact, certain gambling games are actively

encouraged in families, particularly at celebrations.

Since 2005 to 2007, the English government

started to loosen gambling restrictions, since then we have seen

a huge increase in the number of casinos and betting shops. We

know that for a fact, when there are more casinos and betting

shops around, there is more temptation to gamble, and more

people become addicted. When people become addicted to

gambling, it creates a lot of social problems.

It is a known fact that gambling is a form of

addiction, which can become a mental health problem. Some

key features include: that the gamblers, despite their realization

that what they do is harmful and damaging, (often coupled with

guilt), are unable to control their drive to continue gambling.

There is a process of habitual dependency and obsession,

before long, they are back at the gambling table, and can only

stop when they run out of money. Addiction to gambling causes

a great deal of damage. It is akin to cancer (or even a computer

virus), which can totally destroy a person (or the computer, as the

case may be!).

Habitual gamblers bring great harm to themselves,

their families as well as their social circles. This damage affects

many generations – their children and grandchildren, their spouse,

friends and peers. This all paints a very bleak picture for those

involved. The harm that habitual gambling brings is far-reaching.

In society, it affects social ethics and the greater economy.

Individually, it ruins people’s lives and livelihoods.

We ought to consider that the fight against habitual

gambling also has a spiritual dimension, where Satan has the

influence and the person affected is trapped. More and more

experts claim that habitual gambling is also a spiritual problem.

Fighting gambling addiction is also spiritual warfare! From 18

years of experience, we have learnt that it is very hard to

completely overcome gambling addiction without the person

putting their trust in the power of Christ’s redemption and

deliverance.

CCGR was established in 1996. In 2000, the centre

was registered as an independent charity. We have been serving

for over 18 years.

.

• Our vision, is to witness:

That God so loved the

world: this includes those

who gamble and their

families, those who suffer

and desperately need our

Lord’s saving grace of

salvation. The transforming

power of the gospel, that

brings peace and a new life

that is lived to the full.

• Our aims are: Through the power of the Gospel, with the

abundant grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, to help those

trapped in habitual gambling to give up their addiction

and turn to God. To provide assistance to the families of

gamblers. To spread knowledge and raise awareness

on the damaging effects of gambling. Our Centre is

open from Monday to Friday with walk-in sessions.

Every Monday and Tuesday, through small group

sharing, we help gamblers to come to know Christ and

through living a Christian life, to overcome their

gambling habit. We help seekers to manage their debt

repayments and restore relationship with their families.

We support the setting up of anti-gambling ministries in

other parts of the country (and Europe). We hold

seminars, training and counselling sessions to for the

gamblers.

• Our service has extended to the whole UK and Europe.

We have served those affected, from many places. Our

service is free of charge, and we wholly rely on

donations and support from churches to keep us running.

Please keep

our ministry

in your prayers

The Carelinks team

2015Advisor / Chairman

Pastor Chun Kuen Cheung

Pastoral worker / New Leaf manager

Anita Tang

Secretary

David Chau (Hammersmith Cantonese)

Members and Congregational Representatives

David Chau (Hammersmith Cantonese)

Sam Cheung (New Soho)

Eric Lui (Hammersmith English)

Sophie Lin (Colindale)

web : www.ccil.org.uk/carelinks

Facebook : carelinks

email ﹕carelinks@ccil.org.uk

1

What is Fairtrade?Fairtrade is about better prices, decent

working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. By requiring companies to pay sustainable prices (which must never fall lower than the market price), Fairtrade addresses the injustices of conventional trade, which traditionally discriminates against the poorest, weakest producers. It enables them to improve their position and have more control over their lives

Jesus lived a radical life, he identified with the poor and the marginalized. One small way in which we can follow Jesus is to make countercultural and radical decisions in our daily lives; to buy and use goods which have been fairly traded.

When we buy Fairtrade products we are doing two things: first, we are helping people and communities work their way out of poverty, we are helping bring about transformation. But, second, we are also sending a powerful political message to governments and companies that large numbers of us want to see a fairer international trading system and that we are prepared to act to bring it about.

A consequence of today’s capitalist society is that it can render economic relations distant and asocial resulting in the exploitation of people in the

production chain. By buying Fairtrade we can combat against these exploitative practices. When Jesus commanded us to “love [our] neighbor as [ourselves]” (Matthew 22:39), he did not just refer to your family, or friends or even your neighbor across the road. He referred to everyone. Even the person who produces your coffee. Thus, as a Church we are challenged to respond likewise. We should buy Fairtrade.

The Three Goals for a Fairtrade Church:➡ Use Fairtrade tea and coffee after services and in all meetings for which you have responsibility.➡ Move on forward using other Fairtrade products such as sugar, biscuits and fruit.➡ Promote Fairtrade during Fairtrade Fortnight and during the year through events, worship and other activities whenever possible.

As a Church we should strive to fulfill all three goals. Fairtrade is an alternative model which puts poverty alleviation, sustainable development, environmental protection and social justice at the heart of international trade. It is predicated on the belief that we can and must act justly to make a better world (Micah 6:8).

“Administer justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not

oppress the poor” Zechariah 7:9

A FAIRTRADE CHURCHPolitical consumerism as loving thy neighbourBy Eric Lui English Congregation Carelinks Committee

13 F

ebru

ary

2012

LEFT: The Fairtrade Mark - appears on UK products that have been traded under internationally agreed Fairtrade standards.

Carelinks Ministry

Theology

of the

Reusable cup

What’s The Problem?

Most of us enjoy a good cup of coffee, some of us like to roast our own beans, while most of us enjoy one at our favourite coffee shop. It is certainly convenient that we can feed our caffeine addiction on the go, but have you ever wondered where your

disposable coffee cups end up?

The disposable cup symbolises our throwaway culture better than anything else. A recent consumer survey estimated that 2.5bn takeaway cups are thrown away every year in Britain alone. This number is probably only the tip of the iceberg, as this does not include the plastic and polystyrene disposable cups that we use every week in church!

You may think that the easiest solution is to recycle the cups. However, most recycling plants cannot process these cups, which means that most of these cups end up in landfill sites! You see, disposable cups are mostly made of cardboard, but also contain about 5% polyethylene in the form of a thin coating inside the cup, stopping your cup from going soggy. This mixture of materials often prevent them from being recycled alongside paper and cardboard. Even if these cups could be recycled, where would you recycle them once you are on the go? Coffee chains insist that once the disposal cups have been taken out of their stores it is your responsibility. With the

lack of clarity on what facilities can recycle these mixed material, the

disposable cup will most likely end up in landfill sites.

Apart from the obvious environmental costs in disposing and recycling these cups, we need to consider the carbon footprint and the resources that goes into manufacturing these disposable cups. The knock on effect is climate change, which disproportionately affects people in poverty more than we could ever imagine.

It is fair to say that most of us in the UK would not mind a slight increase in temperature. However, global temperature rise is causing unusual and erratic rainfall which can cause crop failure, leading to hunger and loss of livelihoods. While too much rainfall is bringing floods and washing away crops and homes. The impact of climate change is pushing poor people further into poverty. People have to travel further to access drinking water, and more people are forced to leave their homes to find food and shelter putting pressure on areas already vulnerable. 

As Christians, how are we supposed to think about these issues? Why should we care about it? I believe the most powerful and imaginative theological idea that can speak into these pressing issues is none other than the fact that we are made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26). To be human is to be the image of God. This is not so much something we have, as who we are. It describes the intimate relationship that God has with humanity, where God entered into a personal relationship with man, to create him, to speak to him and to involve him in his creation.

The humankind in Genesis is spoken of, on one hand, as a single entity where all stand in solidarity before God. On the

other hand, humankind is a community where none is the full image of God alone. Only in the community of humankind is God fully reflected. This biblical idea rejects any attempt that might reduce our fellow neighbour to objects of exploitation, and challenges our direct and indirect impact on their wellbeing. Our responsibility is to defend the weak, the oppressed and the vulnerable, to be the voice of the voiceless, to pour ourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted (Isa 58:10).

Furthermore, it is being the image of God which enables us to live out our intended purpose - to subdue and have dominion over the rest of creation. However, dominion does not imply abuse and exploitation. Although the imagery is power-laden, it is power exercised as God exercised power. God’s power is not coercive or abusive in creation, but caring, creative, relational and kingly. Furthermore, the biblical pattern of kingship that humanity should exercise is expressed throughout the Old Testament as a servant-kingship, which exists for the benefit of his people and land. Therefore, our relationship with creation is to treat it as a divine gift, characterised by justice and care. It is worth reminding us that our Lord Jesus Christ is the true image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15), who came, lived, died and resurrected for the sake of humanity and his creation. Only in Christ can we be a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17), to fully reflect who we are made to be. Therefore, our true humanity is only possible when we are restored in Christ and expressed in our relationship with God, neighbour and creation. God has entrusted us with a huge responsibility to our neighbours and his creation. If an innocent-looking disposable cup could have such a negative impact on the poor, then as Christians we ought to rethink our way of life.

Why should we care about it?

There is so much that we can do to address the problems of climate change, such as praying for the oppressed, campaigning for policy change, replacing high-carbon industries with green technologies, increasing renewable energy sources, providing finance and technology to help poor countries, etc. However, the easiest and most accessible thing that each of us can do is to reduce our carbon emissions. Every reduction in emissions makes a difference by not adding to the risk.

Rather than a unrestraint usage of disposable cups, take your own mug to work, to church and to your favourite coffee shop instead! If you, like myself, think that a ceramic mug is too inconvenient to carry around with you, you will be delighted to know that there are beautifully designed reusable cups to replace a heavy ceramic cup, so you can be just and look cool at the same time! Joking aside, compared to a disposable cup, a reusable cup saves energy, water and trees in its manufacturing process, and significantly reduces landfill. An added benefit of using a reusable cup is that most big coffee chains offer a discount when you use your reusable cup!

There are a variety of reusable cups on the market these days, such as the Eco Cup, which looks like a paper cup but is made out of porcelain with a silicone lid, which is great for keeping your drinks warm. However, my favourite is the KeepCup. It is ‘barista standard’ and is made out of BPA free plastic, light, colourful and comes in four different sizes! So now you are more aware of the theology of the reusable cup, let us start the reusable cup revolution!

Visit www.ipcc.com Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and www.climatejusticefund.org Tearfund’s Climate Justice Fund for more in depth information on environmental and climate change issues.Visit www.keepcup.com for more in depth information on the sustainability of a reusable cup.

What can we do about it?

Wien FungPastoral Worker, CCiL